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Friday, February 28, 2014

from Steve | no place like HOME!

Well, it has been 11 days since my surgery to remove the tumor and my left eye and today I got to come home! This is about a week or two earlier than originally planned by the doctors and staff. This has to be a God-thing because all the reports keep coming back that I have been healing faster than anticipated. Also, I am now too healthy to stay in a facility for any further treatments if we want the insurance company to pay for it. We met a lot of great people and had great care but being home is the best!

There are so many thoughts to share about this experience but I do not want to write a LONG treatise that no one will want to read. Here are some highlights to the 11 days:

-          For me the surgery was easy (I was unconscious for 24 hrs!). Now the days following in ICU were pretty intense. So Sandy’s worst day was Monday (day of surgery), mine was Tuesday, the following day.

-          The doctors and staff at the hospital, burn center, and the rehab facility were tremendous. (of course, they had half the world praying for them!) We met a lot of great, talented people and had many interesting conversations. It definitely takes a special type of person to do that kind of work! We thank God for them.

-          Our kids have been such a huge support to Sandy and I. Way beyond what words can describe! How privileged we are as parents! (Ps 127:3)

-          We have been blessed by so many visits, posts, comments, cards of encouragement, flowers, and gifts from all over this planet – it still just amazes us! Thank you very much!!

-          Sandy has been such a trooper throughout this entire journey. I know this isn’t easy on her and I hate she has to go through it but she knows as well that God can be trusted and He does everything perfect and in His time.

-          Our pastor and church family have been such a HUGE support for myself, Sandy, and our family (just the way God designed it to be) – He is honored

-          The follow up visit with the ENT surgeon yesterday was very encouraging

o   The pathology report showed no cancer was found in lymph nodes taken from my neck or margins of where tumor was – AMEN!

o   Healing process is going really well. All tubes, IV’s, drains, some of the 200+ stitches removed

o   The trach hole is still healing so it makes talking difficult (no comments please…) :)

o   Most of my face is numb and will be for about 5-6 months (so I feel no pain where the tumor surgery took place)

o   Most of my pain is in my neck (all the way across) where lymph nodes were extracted and on my back side where all the tissue, muscle, etc was taken to make the free flap for the face – but my pain over all has been surprisingly low (I am very thankful for that!) – actually less pain than before the surgery

-          What is really awesome is I can now sleep more than an hour or two stretch! I slept 3.5 hours two times last night – that is a record for the past 8 months! Woo-hoo!

-          Future expectations: it is supposed to take several months for the free-flap (the 11cm skin patch) to shrink down to its intended size for future cosmetic surgery. In the meantime, my face looks like it has an over-inflated half softball sewn on my face as a tarp. Most people think I have a HUGE patch on half my face but it is the actual skin flap taken from my left middle back (which still has staples in it to keep my back together). So, it will take months to fully recover from this but the scary stuff is over.

 

There are more details we would love to share but you get the idea of the our progress along with the other posts. You, as with us, can see God’s hand in this entire event and we give Him thanks and praise. Again, we want to express our thanks to you for your thoughts and prayers and concern! You have been amazing! God has been honored by your participation in our journey. We are anticipating to see exciting things on how God orchestrates this into His majestic plan. He has brought us through a big, dark valley – thank you for holding us up when we could not do that ourselves. We rejoice together!!

 

Much love!

Steve & Sandy

Acts 20:24 “But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.”

3 comments:

  1. All I can say continue to pray for healing, all the care people and for you and family... and a praise the Lord...... Deb and Russ Lutes

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  2. I am so excited to see how God is working in your life. I am part of the people praying in Tennessee. Jan Green

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  3. Praise God! As always, He answers prayer in marvelous and amazing ways. Hallelujah! ~ Steve & Shellie

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